Ladies and gentlemen, Rasheed Walker!
The Skinny
Height/Weight: 6-foot-6, 300 pounds
Hometown/High School: Waldorf, MD (North Point H.S.)
Ranking: ★★★★ (0.9676 247Sports Composite)
Notable Offers: Ohio State, Virginia Tech, Georgia, Michigan, and Florida
Highlights
The Tale
Rasheed Walker first visited Happy Valley in July 2016 for the Lasch Bash, but the tide really turned in his recruitment when he made his way back to Beaver Stadium that fall for the Ohio State game. After seeing Penn State upend the Buckeyes, the Nittany Lions (allegedly) took the lead in his recruitment; a lead Penn State never truly surrendered.
Of course, that isn’t to say Walker’s recruitment wasn’t without drama. The Buckeyes made a big push for Walker over the past few months, to the point where Ohio State recruitniks were predicting Walker to the Buckeyes following his official visit to Columbus. Fortunately for James Franklin and Co., the bond between Walker and Penn State was too strong to be broken, as Walker officially made Happy Valley his home on National Signing Day.
Outlook
This is what elite recruiting looks like, folks. Walker now joins Nana Asiedu at offensive tackle, giving Penn State their top two offensive tackle targets heading into this recruiting cycle. Both Walker and Asiedu were made to play offensive tackle — long, athletic, and powerful — and should be bookends on Penn State’s offensive line in the future. The days of having to shift 6-foot-3 center out to tackle are over.
Walker already has impressive size, weighing in at 300 pounds, but should end up in the 320 range. He has a massive frame that will have no problem carrying another 20 pounds or so. Like most offensive tackle prospects, he’ll need a redshirt year to adjust to the rigors of college football, but Walker doesn’t appear to be a project. He should be ready to play in 2019 if needed, and will absolutely push for a starting spot as a redshirt sophomore in 2020.
Welcome to Penn State, Rasheed!